The Department of Public Health has approved licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries in 20 communities statewide ó and Bridgewater didnít make the cut.

Alternative Compassion Services Inc., which was proposing to build a facility off Elm Street in Bridgewater, was one of 100 finalists for the limited supply of licenses in the state.

"I thought we had an excellent application. Iím a little shocked they only put two in Plymouth County given its size," said Stephen Werther of Alternative Compassion Services.

Werther said he had letters of support from Bridgewater town officials and his proposal got a warm reception from the Bridgewater town planner. The townís business-friendly approach was one of the things that drew him to Bridgewater as a location.

"They were open to the idea," Werther said.

The proposed site also had the advantage of being an "excellent location," near the intersection of routes 24 and 495, he said.

According to the DPH, the applicants were evaluated based on the "overall quality of the application, appropriateness of the site, local support and the applicantís ability to meet the overall health needs of registered patients while ensuring public safety."

In order to be awarded a license, an applicant had to score 137 or higher. Alternative Compassion Services received a score of 112. The low score was 53 for Herbal Wellness Inc. seeking a license in Holyoke and the high score was 160 for Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc., which was awarded licenses in Mashpee, Taunton and Plymouth.

The state also invited eight high-scoring applicants who werenít awarded licenses to apply again in a different location. Alternative Compassion Services was not included on that list either.

The remaining 72 applicants, including Alternative Compassion Services, are listed as "not selected at this time" on the DPH website.

The state medical marijuana law directs the DPH to register up to 35 dispensaries in the first year, with at least one but no more than five per county.

"Iím not giving up. I guess Iíll have to take a wait-and-see approach," Werther said.

Werther said his business partner for the Bridgewater proposal already runs a successful medical marijuana facility in Rhode Island, Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Portsmouth.

Werther himself said he has "an excellent business history, mostly in Massachusetts" as owner of Needham Alternative Communication Systems and currently running a project management relocation business.

He said the dispensaries will address a medical need.

"Thereís a lot evidence people are helped by this. Theyíre helped with things like pain and nausea and spasms and with fewer side effects than from prescription narcotics," Werther said.